LITERAL DUMPSTER FIRE

Trash Fire Sparks Destructive Wild Blaze in California

A truck dumped a pile of flaming garbage that spread fire to vegetation and destroyed nearby homes, according to officials.

Blazing trash dumped out by a garbage truck sparked a wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes in Southern California’s Riverside County early Friday, according to officials. Hundreds of people in the area were ordered to evacuate as authorities worked through the night to contain the flames. A fire department spokesperson said the blaze erupted when a “trash truck dumped a load of burning trash that spread onto vegetation,” around 2 p.m. Thursday, but no details on the driver or possible charges were released. The fire spread to a nearby mobile-home park and destroyed 75 homes; it now covers more than 500 acres. It was one of about 275 wildfires that have broken out across California as the warm Santa Ana winds signaled the start of the state’s peak fire season.